The Penguin is a compact semi-submarine with two floating hulls, a central underwater cabin and three large windows, which makes a dry, up-close encounter with bright colourful fish swimming around the reefs at two metres deep possible.(Vanessa Lucas, Seychelles Tourism Board)

(Seychelles News Agency) – For sea lovers wanting to discover the amazing marine life in the vast ocean around the Seychelles islands, taking a plunge into the crystal clear waters is the way to go.

A snorkelling or diving expedition, however, is not everyone’s favourite thing to do, leaving those who are not willing to get their feet wet to choose other options.

While glass bottom boats have long been an ideal choice, locals and visitors to Seychelles will now be able to also choose a ‘penguin experience’ to explore the underwater world of the 115-island archipelago in the western Indian Ocean.

The Penguin is a compact semi-submarine with two floating hulls, a central underwater cabin and three large windows, which makes a dry, up-close encounter with bright colourful fish swimming around the reefs at two metres deep possible.

The St Anne Marine Park, located about 5 kilometres from the Seychelles main island, Mahé, and one of the most popular snorkelling spot in the island nation, provided the ideal setting for the launching of a pair of these semi-submarines on Tuesday.

The venture is being undertaken by Creole Travel Services, a local tourism business of the JFAlbert Group of companies, in collaboration the HLB company, a South Korean firm specializing in the manufacture of lifeboats, including the Penguins.

“These Penguins have been launched in the Maldives. They have five of those and 60 percent of their clients are Chinese visitors, because they love to discover. So it’s something good for Seychelles, which is trying to develop the Chinese market, but also for other groups like families and children who cannot swim,” the general manager of Creole Travel services, Guillaume Albert, told SNA.

The collaboration between Creole Travel Services and South Korea’s HLB Company was initiated by the Seychelles Honorary Consul in South Korea, who is also the brains behind the 2008 Eco-Friendly Marathon, which has now become an annual event.

The small vessels are also eco-friendly, as their motors run on battery power.

“The battery can last for eight hours meaning we can have a full day or twin half day operations on a full charge,” Roland D’Offay the director of operations at the JFAlbert Group of companies told SNA.

D’Offay explained that the two Penguins have been brought in as Creole Travel Services is in the process of replacing its aging fleet of glass bottom boats.

The initiative has been welcomed by the tourism authorities as an innovative way to increase tourismearnings.

“We need better yield from the Seychelles tourism industry. We can keep on bringing tourists but this will not increase the yield. To increase the yield we need facilities, we need activities. Bringing in the new Penguins is offering something new for the tourists,” the tourism minister Alain St Ange said on Tuesday.

It is hoped that Seychellois and tourists alike would be interested, with Creole Travel Services planning to offer night excursions and include educational programmes on the outings, to create awareness about the Seychelles’ marine environment.

According to Albert, the cost of one of the semi-submarines is around $115,000. The fee to ride on the new Penguins, hasn’t been set yet. The penguins can carry 12 people at a time, eight on the main deck and four in the underwater cabin.

You do not need to wear specialised equipment to view under the sea. Neither do you require professional training nor do you have to be an excellent swimmer to admire the wonders of the deep.

Creole Travel Services (CTS), in collaboration with the HBL group from South Korea, offers you a new way to admire the undersea world without getting your feet wet!

The company has brought in two ‘Penguins’, a compact semi-submersible vessel which makes it easy to explore underwater without any diving equipment while concurrently functioning as a boat.

The launch of the new eco-friendly product took place on Tuesday this week in the St Anne Marine Park.

Present at the launch were the Minister for Tourism and Culture Alain St Ange, principal secretary (PS) for tourism Anne Lafortune, the chief executive of the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) Sherin Naiken, the general manager of CTS Guillaume Albert, the honorary consul general of Seychelles in Korea Dong Chang Jeong, among other guests.

‘Penguin’ has been developed by ‘Gocean’, which is an affiliate of HBL group.

The two new eco-friendly vessels are battery powered, enabling a full-day excursion (about eight hours) at sea.

‘Penguin’ can carry 9 to 12 persons, and has a maximum speed of four knots; it uses electric outboard motors that enables for a soft ride and enjoys the calm seas.

Mr Albert stated that CTS wants to raise awareness of our marine environment and of the importance of conserving our underwater world.

Minister St Ange said Seychelles needs to better develop the tourism sector by providing new activities.

“To increase the capacity of tourists who come to visit Seychelles, we need more creativity, more activities to keep attracting them. We have glass-bottom boats, and today we have ‘Penguin’, so that tourists can enjoy the beauty of the undersea,” he said.

Mr Dong Chang Jeong said the ‘Penguins’ will enable local people and tourists to have a better view of the sea’s secrets.

“You don’ have to worry about learning how to scuba dive and swim, sea currents and safety. Penguins can take anyone – from babies to very senior – who cannot dive by themselves. This is a perfect product for Seychelles because you have a beautiful underwater world,” he said

He added that the launch of ‘Penguin’ this year is also very meaningful, as this year Seychelles and South Korea are celebrating 40 years of diplomatic relations.